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Weird scholarships can help if you are one of those students who think that scholarships can only be granted to those with high test results, then think again. There are many types of scholarships to suit different types of student. You just have to know where to look and how to win them. For those who are looking for weird scholarships, you have come to the right place. We not only list a few of the weirdest scholarships we have seen but we have others that pay out each month to college students, even if you don’t necessarily qualify for this type of weird scholarship.

Why Weird Scholarships Are Better Than Most

There are broad types of weird scholarships such as State scholarships which can be searched for under the respective State and there are many scholarships in some States. Academic scholarships are awarded to those students with exceptional test results and a history of academic excellence. There are athletic scholarships which are much sought after and are highly competitive, attracting applicants with high level sports and academic achievements. There are also creative scholarships for art minded students. Student’s portfolios are expected to be submitted at the time of application. Then, there are there weird scholarships, which are not really weird at all, they are just not the traditional type of scholarships that people know about.

Minority weird scholarships and even so called scholarships are open to all minorities and some are available to specific minorities only. This one may suit the majority of students, and are for those students whose test results are not exceptional and other factors like contest essays, community service, leadership activities, sports, art and music are taken into consideration and need weird scholarships to help augment government student loans.

Unusual weird scholarships are just that. They fall into the category of miscellaneous and range from the wacky to the odd, requiring people with certain surnames or strange talents to apply for these scholarships’. Some of them do offer weird scholarships of $2,000 or more, so they are worth applying for.

Study abroad students can also benefit from weird scholarships designed just for them. Women can benefit from specific weird scholarships in the same way that minorities can. Community service weird scholarships are for those students who have a history of giving back to the community. Something slightly different are community scholarships which are funded by unions, chambers of commerce, and religious organisations. There are plenty of them to search for and apply for. Whatever your academic level, interests or background, there will be a easy and weird scholarship for you to apply for.

For Most Programs, Applying is Very Easy For Weird Scholarships

If you’ve worked hard and studied and would like to apply for weird scholarships, you will be rewarded with the opportunity to apply to the college of your choice. The story doesn’t end there though. Once you’ve successfully gained a place at a university. There are many costs that need to be considered before you can accept that offer. Many students try to look for either odd scholarships or even weird scholarships to apply for.

The prime cost is the cost of tuition, this is a reason why many search for weird scholarships. Back in 1980, the cost of a degree course averaged at $8,000 and today, those same courses cost about $30,000. Some degree courses can set you back as much as $75,000 or more. So unless your parents saved for your college education and plan not to apply for weird scholarships, or you are independently wealthy, you will need to obtain a student loan or try to find scholarships to give you money for school.

If you were offered a weird scholarship however, the future looks much brighter and relatively stress free. You can focus on studying instead of having to work part time because of weird scholarships do give you money. The advantages of weird scholarships mean that without a loan, you will have no repayments to worry about. It looks good on your resume because of the fact that gaining a weird scholarship suggests you are a top student. Weird scholarship has its their prestige and honor and will very likely assist you getting in to the university of your choice. Other weird scholarships, which can be quit odd, do not award as much money.

Different Weird Scholarships

Are you looking to kick start your education with a university or weird college scholarship? The inspirational or analytical essay may not be your only option. Here are some unusual, creative or weird scholarships that you might want to check out:

The American Fire Sprinkler Association Scholarship Increase your education coffers with up to $20,000 from the American Fire Sprinkler Association. Their hotly contested open book sprinkler test also has a second chance prize of $5,000. Applications open in September 2014.

The Duck Brand ‘Stuck at the Prom’ Scholarship– If you are dab hand with duct tape or a budding fashion designer why not give this $3,000 grant a try. Design and wear a prom dress made of duct tape to your prom and document it and you could win. This is definitely part of the weird scholarships bunch.

The Kor Memorial Scholarship-This weird scholarship is awarded to multi-lingual language students particularly those with a working knowledge of Klingon or other constructed languages. Not the most princely grant at $500 but it is certainly worth applying if you fit their criteria.

Eileen J. Garrett Scholarship – Don’t be fooled by it’s name, this is one of the spookiest of the weird scholarships. This essay contest awards up to $3,000 to budding parapsychology studying at an accredited college or university.

AACT’s John Kitt Memorial Scholarship – If you are interested in making candy your career and are majoring in food science or technology at college or university you could be the beneficiary of a generous subsidy from the American Association of Candy Technologists

Chick and Sophie Major Memorial Duck Calling Contest Having a way with mallards could be your ticket to a $2,000 grant by winning one of 4 ‘duck whispering’ contests that are conducted around Thanksgiving each year. For agricultural minded people it is worth looking into farming produce advocate groups, boards like the Asparagus club tend to offer small to generous weird scholarships for both achievements related and unrelated to their interested.

Collegiate Inventors Competition for Weird Scholarships-This whopping $15,000 grant is perfect for young inventors! 12 shortlisted candidates take their invention on an all expenses paid trip to Washington DC to present their work and a winner is selected for this type of weird scholarship.

Student Loans vs Weird Scholarships

There are many weird scholarship opportunities around us and it is important to try to apply for as many as you can to help offset tuition costs. The cost of obtaining a university degree can run into many thousands of dollars. Not many of us can afford to pay this bill out of our savings and so we resort to a student loan where we can pay it back over time. Each country has different rules regarding student loans and even weird scholarships. For instance in Australia, the loan is paid off when the student has sufficient income to pay a supplementary tax and is dependent upon the CPI inflation rate, rather than the normal interest rate.

Similarly in the UK, the loan repayment is collected via the tax system and is dependent upon how much income the person has over a specific threshold. If the person’s income is below that threshold, no repayments are required but the loan continues to accrue interest. However, in the United States, students apply for a Federal Student Loan which can be subsidized and are often cheaper than normal loans.

Left-handed scholarships and other unique scholarships are available for those that can find them. With the rising cost of pursuing a college education these days, any financial help is a gift. But if you find yourself as just an average student then scholarships based on things other than grades is what you want to locate to pay for college. This article will focus on left-handed scholarships and other uniquely qualifying scholarship awards.

Do You Qualify?
Just being aware of the fact that not all scholarships are based on academic status is an eye opener for most. In fact, there are a lot of scholarships that rely on OTHER qualifications for being awarded. Were you aware of scholarships for tall people? Or have you heard of the duct tape prom dress awards? The chances are high that you have never heard of either and therein lies the problem. You need a way to locate these and other like-minded scholarship awards.

Top Three Ways To Locate Unique Scholarships
With the advent of so much new and valuable information online we will limit our searches there;

1. Visit online forums and message boards – Go to Google and type in “scholarship message board” or “scholarship forum” and you should receive a lot of valuable forum addresses. Check them out and when you have identified the ones that are active then feel free to interact with other like-minded students who probably are looking for scholarships too. The unique and little-known scholarships will get chatted about allowing you all to benefit.

2. Use Search Engines – Utilize Google to find that unique scholarship for yourself. For example, if you are left-handed then type into Google’s search engine “left-hand scholarships” (include the quotes). But don’t stop there, in fact, start searching for all of your unique hobbies and qualities using the same procedure. For this exercise think about using height, eye colour, hair colour, etc. Keep in mind that if you had to exert some effort to find it, then there probably isn’t a lot of other scholars that will find it either!

3. Utilize an Online Scholarship Database – Nowadays there are some useful, reputable scholarship databases online that can assist you finding unique scholarships. They come in free and paid versions. Of course, the paid versions tend to have more information and search options, but you can still get started with either. We recommend one such database in the resource section of this article.

In Closing
This article has hopefully uncovered your eyes and opened your mind to the possibilities of finding a scholarship that is not specifically academic based. If you are willing to put forth some effort and use your time wisely, then you should have no problem finding a few unique scholarships for yourself. Who knows that next group of “Unique awards” may very well have your name on one of them and help you get to the universities!

In today’s economy, attending college can be quite expensive. Fortunately for you, there are thousands of scholarships out there to help you with those heavyweight tuition fees and many that are just weird. These weird scholarships can be as unique as you are and many of them only require a well thought out essay to obtain. I have scoured the net to find a few scholarships that may, or may not be right up your alley.

Let us travel East to Washington, DC and have a seat at The National Potato Council. Yes, potatoes and scholarships blend well in Washington apparently and all you have to do to obtain it is know your potato and maybe a bit of science. Every year The National Potato Council awards one $10,000 scholarship to a lucky student who is advancing to make a significant impact on the potato growing community. If you know how to keep those French fries perfect, this weird scholarship is for you.

Do you know pets? Do you love pets? Do you want to earn a $1000 scholarship for the love of pets?Then this weird scholarship may be for you. Every year Yourpetland.com, a training and informational site for pet owners, offers it’s scholarship to a lucky applicant who can write the best based on the topic of the year.This years topic, exotic pets on the black market and what consequences that may have. The requirements are stiff and the competition is stiffer so get exotic and head on over to Yourpetland.com to submit your essay and be one step closer to that degree you have always dreamed of.

Is an obsession with all things zombies an interest of yours? Then there is a scholarship for you. Yes, you heard it right, zombies will assist you in furthering your education and Unigo.com (a college and scholarship matching program) is the group you want to impress. Unigo is offering a yearly $2,000 scholarship to a lucky student with the most impressive zombie survival plan. Do you think you have what it takes to keep the undead at bay and protect your precious school and fellow students from losing their developing brains? Do you constantly daydream about what you would need to protect yourself from an apocalypse of undead proportions? All that is required is a 250-word essay on how you would survive and that scholarship is yours.

No matter what your plans are in the future I can promise there is a scholarship out there for you just for being the amazing person you are. With a little digging and dedication, anything is possible. If potatoes, pets or even the undead are your thing, make sure you apply before time is up and if you’re a bit more unique than the opportunities described, a simple search will open you up to an excellent scholarship that might just be weird enough for you.